With the new year upon us, we here at Layar thought what beter way to ring it in than to release a new version of Layar for the iPhone! Right now, anyone with an iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS can go to the App Store and download Layar 4.0!

So what’s new in version 4.0? The most noticeable update is support for the gyroscope in the iPhone 4. Now when you look around your world with Layar, objects will move across your screen in closer sync with your motions. This creates a much smoother experience and takes Augmented Reality another step towards the blending of the digital and real world.

Also new in this version is an updated interface for the Camera View. When viewing a layer, you’ll see an Info button and a button to switch between Camera, List and Map Views. Clicking the Info button will let you see more info about that layer, add it to your favorites, view layer options, switch to Bird’s Eye View or calibrate the horizon.

And finally, the other addition you will notice in Layar 4.0 for iPhone is the ability to use iOS multi-tasking and app switching. A double tap of the home button on your iPhone will bring up your recently used apps, and you can use this feature to switch back and forth without losing your place in Layar!

You may also notice that we have redesigned the Download section of our Website with more detailed descriptions of the iPhone and Android versions of Layar.

We hope you enjoy the update, and Happy New Year!

One of the things that makes Augmented Reality unique from other mobile and digital technologies is that it is by its very nature inherently interactive. The blending of digital information with the real world makes for truly immersive experiences, and a new promotion in Dublin, Ireland is taking advantage of this in a big way.

For the grand opening of COPĀN, a new café bar modeled in the style of the ancient Mayan civilization of the same name, a week-long mobile scavenger hunt called “Find COPĀN” is being held. Players must use clues to track down the game’s treasures, which can be unlocked using Layar. The first person to find the treasure each day is awarded one of many of the contest’s prizes, which include iPads, laptops, TVs, cameras, and even a vacation in South America.

You can join the fun by visiting the Find COPĀN website on your Android or iPhone where you can sign up or login with your Facebook account. The website tracks your status and lets you access the “Navigator” which launches Layar and opens the “Find COPĀN” layer. Each day, clues regarding the whereabouts of the day’s prize are provided in the app, in a local newspaper and over the air on a local radio station.

Navigate around Dublin using Layar to find tombs, earn points and possibly unlock the treasure chest to win a prize. The game is going on now and lasts only through this weekend, so if you’re in the Dublin area, search for “Find COPĀN” in Layar and join the Augmented Reality scavenger hunt!

Layer: Find COPĀN
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Required: iPhone or Android device
More info: Find COPĀN Homepage
Developer: Syn

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us and December in full swing, it’s officially holiday shopping season. With that in mind, Orange España - one of the largest telecom providers in Spain - has decided to use Layar to help its customers find their way to retail locations. This marks the first time a telecom provider in Spain has used Augmented Reality in its marketing and promotions.

The layer is called “Tiendas Orange” (or “Orange Shops”) and is available to view in Spain. When using the layer, iPhone and Android users will be able to find Orange retail locations using Layar’s Augmented Reality view as they hold their phones up and look around.

Using Layar to locate various POIs in the real world is one of the tried and true use cases for Augmented Reality, but Orange - the 7th largest telecom provider in the world - has taken things a step further. When users locate the nearest store, they will also be able to view promotional materials, coupons and enter contests to win prizes like digital cameras, GPS receivers, camcorders, DVD players and more.

“With this launch, Orange, as a company committed to innovation applied to customer satisfaction, offers a new way of relating directly and intuitively through its commitment to augmented reality technology,” says Alicia Calvo, Director of Innovation at Orange España.

If you’re in Spain, be sure to use Layar look up the “Tiendas Orange” layer to find locations and view deals and promotions from Orange España.

Layer: Tiendas Orange
Location: Spain
Required: iPhone or Android device
More info: Orange.es
Developer: Orange

Earlier this week, Amsterdam hosted its very own TEDx event at the Stadsschouwburg (City Theater). TED, for those unfamiliar, is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the spread of ideas. Conferences are held around the world filled with talks from people with “Ideas Worth Spreading,” and this week the event came to Amsterdam.

30 speakers took to the stage to share their ideas, and one group created an online photo book to browse through the speakers. The project is called TEDx Portraits and features sepia Polaroid-style photos of each speaker displayed in a digital flip-book.

The folks over at TAB Worldmedia (makers of the Tweeps Around layer) caught wind of this project and teamed up with the group to bring the TEDx Portraits to Layar! If you open up Layar and search for “TEDx Portraits,” you will be able to browse through the TEDx Amsterdam speakers using Augmented Reality.

“We were totally inspired by this concept because we believe that this is exactly the kind of storytelling idea that needs to be brought to a mobile augmented reality concept,” writes TAB Worldmedia on its blog. The portraits are displayed in a circle around you, and turning in place will display information about each individual.

To see me about this project, head on over to the TEDx Portraits homepage, or check it out yourself in Layar!

Back in April when we launched paid layers and the world’s first Augmented Reality content store, we took baby steps. At launch, users in just four countries could purchase content on Layar, and since then we’ve slowly added a handful of other countries.

Today we are proud to announce that we’ve increased the availability of paid layers more than twentyfold. Layar users can now purchase paid layers via PayPal in 179 countries worldwide, leaving roughly a dozen countries from complete global availability. Paid Layar content can now be marketed to users in nearly every nation in the world.

While the global expansion of the Layar Payment Platform will provide more users with access to premium content on Layar, it also is a terrific opportunity for publishers and developers to sell their Layar content to a broader audience.

“An important and long-awaited update regarding our Payment Platform has been implemented this week giving developers and publishers a truly global opportunity to market paid layers,” says Gerben Klop, Product Manager of the Payment Platform at Layar. “This global coverage provides a unique opportunity to create and offer both local and international paid Augmented Reality experiences. I am sincerely looking forward to working with the new projects including new Paid Layers.”

At Layar we are dedicated to providing the tools necessary to help developers, publishers and brands create impactful mobile Augmented Reality experiences. With this global expansion of the Payment Platform, we are now able to bring paid layers to more users worldwide, broadening the audience for content creators to market their premium layers.

Check out this video which shows you just how easy it is to purchase paid content on Layar.